Countdown 2016: No. 10: Nonbinding refugee ban in Craven

Thursday

Dec 22, 2016 at 4:56 PMDec 22, 2016 at 4:58 PM

Charlie Hall CharlieHallNBSJ

An early year controversy developed — but never posed a threat to the work of Interfaith Refugee Ministries — when Craven County Commissioner Scott Dacey called for a local ban of refugees fitting a specific profile from countries linked to terrorism.

Despite a 6-to-1 vote in favor of the resolution in early February, amid a full house of those in protest, life continues as normal for the local ministry. The ministry, started by Rosemary Stark nearly a quarter century earlier, continued its work locally, placing more than 2,000 refugees over the years from Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and Colombia.

Because the ministry receives no county money, Dacey’s resolution was non-binding. Commissioner Johnnie Sampson voted against it.

The vote came after the original resolution by Dacey had been amended to exclude mention of the local Interfaith Refugee Ministry.

“That was never my intent to direct any ridicule toward this organization,” Dacey said after the February meeting, adding that the amended version came from a request by Commissioner Jason Jones.

The resolution was concise: “Therefore Be It Resolved, that in the interest of safety to our community and the desire to maintain the continued goodwill of those within our community toward ALL refugees finding their way to eastern North Carolina, that the Craven County Board of Commissioners opposes the relocation of any refugees from countries that have significant territory controlled by an organization designated by the State Department to be a Foreign Terrorist Organization, including but not limited to Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.”

Dacey said it was not targeting Interfaith, but rather “any entity that is seeking to bring refugees into our community. We are expressing to them concerns that as elected representatives that we are presenting of the people of Craven County and we would prefer that those organizations not bring in individuals from those countries which have substantial control by known terrorist organizations.”

More than 40 residents spoke during more than an hour of comment at the final meeting. There were 19 people who signed for the resolution and 25 against.

“We don’t want either side to dominate the comment period,” Chairman George Liner said before the meeting.

Vice Chairman Sampson offered that “I could have been a refugee,” he said, noting that his parents were Indian and Portuguese.

The speakers included everyday citizens expressing fear of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, former military members who fought in the Middle East, and a former firefighter who was in New York during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

During the board’s discussion after the public comment, Jones said he sought opinions from residents and the numbers favoring the resolution were “overwhelming.”

A number of audience members acknowledged the past work of Interfaith, but also still supported the resolution.

Stark, during a passionate moment before the board, said 6,700 Craven County residents stood behind the ministry. She was one of the audience members with red clothing.

“I am dressed in red for righteous indignation that this motion has come before this assembly,” she said. “Red for the blood of refugees that most assuredly will be shed if they have no place to go. We can agree on the right to life. We believe in love, not only our lives, but the lives of those who are in danger. Because of that, we have reached out to those who are in extreme danger.”

Several speakers said the resolution was a throwback to rejection of some races and creeds during World War II, such as the Japanese and Jews.

Susan Husson, executive director of Interfaith, was among those who spoke at the voting meeting, which was moved from the commissioners’ room to a courtroom to accommodate the crowd.

“We have had people come forward saying that they want to help because they have seen the publicity now,” Husson said shortly after the commissioners’ vote. “Some people have come forward saying they want to help because they’re really annoyed or more than annoyed with the resolution and saying, ‘that’s not right. That’s not something that New Bern should do, it’s not something that we are proud of so we’d like to help you.’”

Interfaith maintained that the vetting program for eligibility was difficult and worked.

Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or 252-259-7585 , or charlie.hall@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @CharlieHallNBSJ

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